Living Is For the Young, or Are We Just Making Excuses?

There are times that all of us, young and senior, are simply amazed at how quickly life passes. Upon leaving our teens and entering our twenties, we are still very much babies. We’re not fully aware of how quickly the first two decades of life fly by since we are too busy growing, planning and running toward the next elusive immediate goal. But the end of the third decade serves as a reminder that time runs on the fast track. At thirty, we are simply amazed and intrigued with time and its quick passage. While the breadth of our lives still lies ahead, we are now aware of the speed of the ride. Then, snap our fingers, and we are eligible for Medicare. As a senior, the passage of time holds no romanticism, but rather is a stark cold measure of the inevitable finale that patiently awaits us all. Time simply flies and carries us with rapidity through our lives.

But is that it? Is the realization that time presents a brief and finite span upon this earth so really important? Is the approaching end to life also the end of growing, planning and running?

It’s a simple answer. Absolutely not!

The senior years present golden opportunities for those who still dream and have the fortitude to pursue the future and not just bemoan the passing of time. Yes, we are old in terms that we are no longer twenty, thirty or forty. But we are certainly not old in terms of our abilities, skills, talents and aptitudes. I know seniors who run marathons, fly planes, and manage companies. I know seniors who write, engineer wondrous machines, and design communities. I know seniors who sculpt, play Beethoven, and capture a morning sunrise on a piece of canvas. And I know seniors who rise with the sun and look forward to the day because of its opportunities and potentials.

Do these seniors suffer from aches and pains? Yes! Are some of these seniors ambulatory and others not? Yes! Do some suffer from strokes, Parkinson’s, memory loss? Yes! Do some endure financial difficulties? Yes! But, they do not use age as an excuse. To paraphrase, they will not go meekly into the night. Their time here on earth is precious and short. It is a lesson learned and appreciated only when you are a senior and fully appreciate the speed of the journey. They will not, therefore, look back at their vanished youth, bemoan their fate, and cry that living is for those still young. No excuses for them. Living is for those who insist on living, no matter what your age or physical disability. We know we have aged and that the end game approaches quickly. But, it is also the time to stay in the game, to adroitly play with time as if you were still young. Aging is but another opportunity to excel!